Police today arrested seven people for allegedly demanding extortion from businessmen and affluent individuals while posing as members of gangster Boro Sazzad’s gang.
The arrestees are Kamrul Hasan alias Sagar, 25, Md Riku, 25, Md Tarikul Islam alias Rohit, 20, Ahmadullah alias Masum Member, 40, Ahmad Reza Shakil, 25, Md Manik, 40, and Nurul Alam, 40.
Police said the arrestees had formed a separate extortion gang using the names of previously arrested gangsters David Emon and Kala Mobarak, as well as Boro Sazzad and Raihan who are the trusted lieutenants of gangster “Boro Sazzad”. They used foreign phone numbers and WhatsApp to conceal their identities, police said.
Acting on a tip-off, police arrested them during raids in Hathazari and different parts of Chattogram city today, said Masud Alam, superintendent of Chattogram police, at a press conference at the district police headquarters in the afternoon.
The police team also recovered a sword, a machete, a knife, a switchblade, and four mobile phones allegedly used for extortion, he said.
SP Masud Alam said the group recently demanded Tk 10 lakh from a doctor in Amanbazar, Hathazari, over phone calls and threatened to kill him if he failed to pay the money.
Similarly, a businessman in Borodighir Par was allegedly contacted from a foreign number and asked to pay extortion, the SP said.
The gang members were identified through information technology analysis, intelligence sources and information obtained from previously arrested gangsters David Emon and Kala Mobarak, SP Masud Alam said.
Police subsequently conducted raids from around 2:00am and arrested the seven, he said.
According to police, Ahmad Reza Shakil is accused in eight cases, including those filed under the Arms Act, extortion and abduction charges.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Hathazari Circle Kazi Md Tarek Aziz told The Daily Star that the arrestees had worked for David Emon on a monthly contract before his arrest.
“Recently, they were collecting extortion money themselves using Boro Sazzad’s name,” the police official said.
